Friday 12 January 2007

Neither cute nor cuddly


I’ve noticed a bit of a travellin' mama animal theme lately, with my last few posts being big on teddy bears, calves, piglets and jokes about sheep. Today is no different, it’s just that the animals in question – eels – don’t rank quite so high on the cute-o-metre.

We’re visiting Golden Bay’s famous wild-but-tame Anatoki eels, which have been hand-fed for decades in a pre-WWII tradition that began when a local Kiwi woman discovered that clicking her fingers at the surface of the water could bring the eels right to her.


Long misunderstood and reviled for their slippery black slimy-ness, these eels provide a great learning experience for Annie and Molly who delight in feeding them chunks of raw meat (gross!) on a stick. I have a newfound respect for all things slippery and black, although being a total wuss, I do draw the line at feeding them myself.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This Blog is terrific. I know your story will make an even better book.
JP